You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.* 

- You Deserve Each Other  was published on 4/7/2020 and is available for purchase. 

Synopsis: Naomi is engaged to Nicholas, a man that she thought she loved. The problem is that she cannot stand him. He's a mama's boy who doesn't seem to take her feelings into account. But everyone around them thinks that they are the perfect couple. She knows that she can't just dump him-- she can't afford to pay his parents back for the lavish wedding his mom is planning-- so her plan is to drive Nicholas crazy until HE dumps HER. 

This book gave me some serious How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days  vibes. That was one of my favorite movies when it came out though, so that's not a bad thing. It was funny and entertaining with a little bit of sweetness. At first I didn't really like Naomi or Nick, but they both grew on me; Nick especially. By the end, I was rooting for the two of them! This is a cute beach read or just an "I need something simple and fun" type of book. Romance readers would definitely enjoy this one! 

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

Cover Art From Goodreads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.* 

I've had this one on my TBR pile for a while, and I heard about it quite a bit at PLA, so I was pretty excited to read it. Not to mention, the cover just drew me in. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype for me. Not that it was a bad book, it just didn't keep me enthralled like I thought I would. 

The premise of the story is that Nina and her boyfriend decide to pull off a massive scam in order to pay for healthcare for Nina's dying mother (who, conveniently taught her everything she knows about scamming people). Her victim: Vanessa, the clueless sister of Nina's high school boyfriend. The story is somewhat told in alternating points of view between Vanessa and Nina, and honestly both women kind of suck. It's hard to feel sorry for anyone in this book because they're all pretty awful in their own ways. 

Nina chose to scam Vanessa because her parents treated Nina badly when they found out she was sleeping with their son. The whole book was based on teenage revenge/angst and it didn't feel like enough of a reason to me to ruin the girl's life. But Vanessa wasn't exactly a peach either. I feel like I knew what was going to happen long before the book ended, and that sort of took the fun out of it for me. 

All in all it's not an awful book, and I would definitely try more of Brown's work. 

He Started It by Samantha Downing

*I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.* 

I remember reading Ms. Downing's other book My Lovely Wife  and really not being sure how I felt about it. He Started It, however; did not leave me with any doubts about the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I started and finished it in one day because I just couldn't put it down.

Beth and her siblings are going on a road trip to spread her grandfather's ashes. None of them are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts though-- there's inheritance money involved. They have to make it through the trip together without getting into any trouble-- but none of them are there for the right reasons. 

Honestly, none of the characters were good people. That just made the book even more interesting to me though, because you wanted to get into their minds and figure out what their motives were for the things they were doing. The ending definitely made the book as well-- I didn't see it coming and that's new for me. I would definitely recommend this book over her first one! 

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry

Cover Art From GoodReads

When I saw the blurb comparing this novel to Bridget Jones' Diary,I was instantly intrigued. I can see why it was labeled that way, because the main character, Roxy, has a lot of the same temperament as Bridget, and (in my opinion) is just as likable.  

Roxy, the heroine, is an artist who makes ends meet by working at Whole Foods and renting out an extra room in her house to her ex boyfriend, Everett. She tells her story through letters that she is writing to Everett (not exactly a diary, but similar because she doesn't always send them to him- or doesn't send any of them, I'm not really sure on that one). She talks about her sex life (or lack there-of), the horrible men she dates, and her creeptastic boss, along with giving us insight in to her best friends and her underwear eating dog. Yes, it's as kitschy and chick-lit as it sounds. 

My only real complaint was the frequent use of the word "grrrrl" in any capacity. I know that the book was set in 2012, but I'm pretty sure no one in their late 20s was using that term. I know that at 22 I sure wasn't. But again, that's just me being petty because that phrase has always annoyed me. Grrrl problems aside, this was a funny, easy read that I would recommend to fans of Jennifer Weiner's or even Jane Green's. 

The Herd by Andrea Bartz

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own*

I wanted to like this one, and based on the description, I thought I was going to. It just.... fell flat for me. For one thing, I can tell you that working in an all female workspace isn't that great. I'm all for female empowerment, but women can be catty and ridiculous. I guess that was the point The Herd was trying to prove as well. 

The writing was decent, and the framework of the story was good. But reading it felt like a kid telling a story for attention: there was a dragon, and a candy fountain, and a witch", like she just kept adding things to the story because they were "cool" and not because they actually drove the story line any further. It took me a few days to finish because I just didn't care about any of the characters. Even the missing one. Not bad, not good, just "meh". 

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Hoo boy was this one interesting.Honestly I'm not sure if I mean that in a good way or a bad way. I know there was a lot of buzz on this one (it was even mentioned a few times when I was at PLA in Nashville) so I had to pick it up and read it, if only to see what all the hype was about. Aaaaannnnddd... I kinda wish I hadn't. 

This is the story of Vanessa. As a teen, she has a relationship with her MUCH older teacher. Fast forward a few years and he is being accused of assaulting another student of his. This of course affects her in ways she didn't expect. My Dark Vanessa  is NOT an easy read. It can be difficult to understand why she would continue a relationship that seems so gross, there's definitely some sex scenes I could have done without having in my brain, but I think this is an important topic that doesn't get discussed enough. 

I have a few points I'd like to bring up, so let me get on my soapbox for a second. I knew there was some controversy with this book, so I looked into it to see what it was.Apparently, the author took some inspiration from another writer, who is a woman of color, in order to help her write the book, which is in part based on the author's own life. It seemed as though people were saying that because she was white she wasn't entitled to her own trauma. I understand that we need more representation and other voices in literature, and in no way am I minimizing what happened to the other author, but for a victim to be able to come forward and write through her own trauma, because of encouragement she got from reading someone else's story (which she CREDITS, I might add) is an incredibly difficult thing to do. I can remember watching an episode of Switched at Birth that reminded me very much of my own assault. To the point where they could have taken it straight from my brain. Does that mean I think they copied me? No, rather, I think it's a shame that so many women have had the same experience that it's a common enough theme for people to write about. 

My second point of frustration with this book is that one of the other victims and the reporter seemed to shame Vanessa for not wanting to come forward with her own story originally. It's frustrating that people do this. I get that doing so would help the case against him, and prevent other girls from being assaulted, but it is NOT the responsibility of someone struggling with their own emotions to keep a grown man from assaulting other girls and she shouldn't be made to feel that it is. It's hard enough to deal with, women should be allowed to process things in their own time on their own terms. *end rant*

Clearly, I had some feelings about this book. 

The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

Cover art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine*

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did! The story is told from three different points of view, Rose- a dressmaker in the 50s, Joanie- a bride in the 80s, and Rocky- a modern day bride. Each of these women has a connection to a particular dress; a dress that was a carbon copy of the one that Grace Kelly wore for her wedding to Prince Ranier. 

Once I started, I couldn't put this book down, because I was just enthralled with all three women and their stories. I was able to sympathize with all of them, but Rocky in particular because she felt like in order to make her mother happy she was unable to have the wedding that she wanted. She felt as though her sister was the beloved one, and she couldn't compete-- and I think that's something we all struggle with at one time or another. I love historical fiction, and at first I thought this book was going to focus on Grace Kelly herself, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn't the case, and each time period was distinguishable from the others, which can be hard to do when you're switching between three different perspectives. I could kind of see this being turned into a Hallmark movie, with less cheese. 

The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. *

Y'all already know how I feel about Ms. Steel, because I've mentioned it a few times before. Her books are ALWAYS a treat for me, and The Numbers Game  was no exception. This book focuses on two characters, Eileen and Olivia. Olivia is having an affair with Eileen's husband. "Numbers Game" uses the alternating points of view between the two women to show how the affair manages to change both of their lives. 

This was a typical DS book. There's infidelity, rich, gorgeous men,all of the main female characters are beautiful, and there's a happy ending for everyone involved. Once again, it didn't take me very long to read (finished it within three hours) and it left me with one of those warm fuzzy types of feelings. It's a palate cleanser after the thrill that was Good Girls Lie, and I needed that. It's hard to find things to say about Steel's books. I feel like she's been writing the same story since the 80s, and while they're not bad, they're just... there. 

Good Girls Lie by JT Ellison

Cover Image from Good Reads

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. *

Published: 12/2019

Boarding school drama, LGBTQ+ relationships, and murders-- this book had everything a girl could ever want! Seriously though, Good Girls Lie  took me for a ride and I am HERE. FOR. IT. 

Our main character goes to an exclusive all girls boarding school after the death of her parents. There she is "tapped" to become part of an elusive club, and starts a strange relationship with one of the society's leaders. There is a twist that I'm not going to spoil. 

I was hooked on this book. Couldn't put it down. All of the characters were awful in their own ways, but they were supposed to be. It worked well for the plot and made me interested in reading more. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys boarding school settings or thrillers-- or both! 

Together We Caught Fire by Eva V. Gibson

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own* 

Okay, so, this book topic was certainly a choice. Looking at the reviews I can see that I'm one of the few who was NOT impressed with it. Here's the gist: Lane has had a crush on Grey forever. But Grey is in a relationship with Sadie. He's also her STEPBROTHER thanks to her dad marrying his mom. Weirdness ensues of course. 

So I'm no stranger to the incest trope. I grew up reading V C Andrews books for crying out loud. But this... just fell flat. For one thing, she barely knew the kid, but was in love with him because they dissected a frog together in middle school? Nah bruh. Then there was the fact that Sadie and Grey are in love and going to get married, but they're like sixteen. *eye. roll.* Their relationship wasn't exactly forbidden. It bears repeating that, THEY WEREN'T RELATED. The description tried to play up the "incest" angle, but the book was more like, "I can't have this guy because he's actually in a relationship and in love with someone else that happens to be my friend". If he was single, I don't think this story would have been near as interesting. Bad pornography storyline at most.

 The slut shaming that Sadie did toward Lane was a hard pass for me as well. At one point she tells Lane that she needs to "wear more clothes" when she's in her yard gardening, because Grey is around. Okay, and? I get that Sadie was raised in an overly religious household, and her dad was a jerk, but she was kind of awful. Honestly everyone in this book was kind of awful. and not in the fun VC Andrews way. 

What Kind of Girl By Alyssa Sheinmel

Cover art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.* 

TW: abuse, self harm, eating disorders

Within the first five minutes of reading this book, I was PISSED OFF. Based on the back cover of the book, you know that a high school girl has suffered abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, and that she reports it. This information has caused a divide in the student body, because her boyfriend is essentially Mr. Perfect-- and no one saw it coming. As a matter of fact, no one would believe her if it weren't for the bruise on her face. 

What Kind of Girl gives the perspective of different girls: the burnout, the cutter, etc. Each of them has their own opinion on what happened to the victim and how much of it was her fault. Upon reading, you realize that there are actually only two girls telling the story: the victim and her best friend. The different perspectives are different aspects of their personalities. It was hard enough reading the first part where the "popular girl" says that she doesn't believe the victim because "what kind of girl doesn't report it when it starts" and "what kind of girl stays when her boyfriend hits her" so "it must have been her fault" but it was even more heartbreaking to realize that the "popular girl" was the victim herself, and she was questioning herself. 

The best friend offers a different perspective, because she feels like she should have known what was going on, and blames herself for what happened. She is a feminist and wants to rally the girls together to get Mike Parker expelled from school, but she also has her own doubts-- especially when her own friend doesn't know if she wants him expelled. 

There is talk of self harm, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obviously domestic abuse. This was NOT an easy read, especially from someone who has suffered through all of these things. However, I think it's something that needs to be talked about. We need to start commending those girls who come forward, and stop letting them think that it was their fault. No one should have to take responsibility for someone else laying a hand on them. I had to pause a few times and remind myself that things do get better, so I can see how this book would be triggering for some people. I also liked the ending. There isn't a happy ever after, things don't automatically get better-- but that's life. It's not a black and white situation, and even though there is hope for our main character, the author lets us know that she still has a tough road ahead of her, sadly, just like most victims do. 

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own*

First of all, yes this is a YA novel. Yes, I am an almost 30 year old woman. Yes, I still read (and ENJOY) YA novels. No I don't care if you think I'm too old for that, or if you don't like it. Keep scrolling. 

Alright, now that that unpleasantness is out of the way... I LOVED this book. Pepper and Jack were two of my favorite characters I've been introduced to in a while. Pepper was high strung and very type A, compounded by the pressure she received from her mom to help run their burger joint's Twitter. Jack is her exact opposite, except that he also helps run his family business's Twitter account. When the two businesses end up in a Twitter war, they eventually figure out their connection, and try to put their angst aside to become friends.What they don't realize is that they've been baring their souls to each other on a secret app where all the participants have their identities hidden. I kept wanting to yell at both of them, because I was ready for the HEA, but Ms. Lord did NOT disappoint on that end. 

This was one of those sickly sweet romances that I probably would have hated during my teen years, but come to appreciate after having been in the actual dating scene ( 0/10 would NOT recommend). There aren't any steamy scenes (it is YA after all) and all in all this is a cute, easy read. I would definitely recommend it to our teen readers and even some of our adults as well. 

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own* 

This book was adorable, and for someone who's watched nothing but Investigation Discovery for about a week straight, it was just the palate cleanser I needed. 

Meg is an artist of sorts. She is a calligrapher, who makes designs out of words. As a matter of fact that's how she meets Reid-- she designed his wedding invitation. So when he comes into her shop one day and asks her about that design, and something she'd hidden in it in particular, both of their lives are changed. The two immediately fall into a friends-then-lovers sort of situation, which for me can be either hit or miss. Meg and Reid are just different enough that it works without being over the top cheesy, and I couldn't help but root for them. 

This was a fast read (finished it within a matter of hours) and definitely a cute one. It wasn't earth shattering or ground breaking but it was a sweet story that took my mind off of the chaos that is going on around the world right now. Sometimes that's just as important as being a literary trophy. There was a fairly descriptive sex scene, but it wasn't something I'd be afraid of my little sister reading. 

I look forward to reading more of Clayborn's work, and would recommend this book to many of the romance readers I know!

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

Cover Art from GoodReads

* I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Ever read one of those books where you think you know how it's going to end, but then the script is flipped and it turns out to be something entirely different? That's how The Wife and the Widow  was for me. When it started, I was hooked, and needed to know how these people fit together, because I knew that somehow they did; however; I was NOT expecting it to go down the way it did. 

Our story is told in alternating perspectives, between Kate, who's husband has recently passed away, and Abby, who's husband is not all that he seems. There seems to be a story inside of a story, which I really enjoyed. I found myself sympathizing with Abby throughout the story, even at the end when her character seems almost nonredeemable-- a parent's love can make them do some crazy things. Even Kate stuck with me, a grieving wife who just wanted to understand her husband in a way she couldn't during the course of his life. Lately I've been fond of the alternating perspectives in books, and this one was no exception. I think it added more to the story than if we just got Abby's or just got Kate's side of the story. The two are too tied together to NOT tell both. 

This wasn't a difficult read, but it did take me a while to get through, just because I was doing a million other things and didn't have the time to devote to it that I wanted. I did stay up late finishing it though, and most days I'll choose sleep over a book, so that's saying something. The Wife and the Widow  was published in January of this year, and should be available at bookstores and your local libraries. I would highly suggest it for suspense lovers! 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Cover Art from GoodReads

*I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own*

Okay, so you know how in the Am I The A**hole forum on Reddit there's an option that says Everyone Sucks Here? That's sort of how I felt about most of these characters. Alex was awful without realizing that she was awful. Throughout the book you kind of KNOW she's not a great person,but you don't really find out the extent of it until later on. 

Then there's Kelly. He doesn't seem that bad either, but the more you go on the more toxic he becomes as well. He sort of skeeved me out from the beginning though. 

Emira was literally the ONLY redeemable person in this book to me. I think the author meant for this to be the case though. You're not necessarily supposed to like Kelly or Alex. Essentially those characters represent some of the different attitudes that white people can have toward people of color, where they come off as racist without meaning to or realizing it. Doesn't mean they aren't offensive, both just chose not to learn to do better. 

Honestly the children in the story had my sympathy the most. This book was somewhat difficult to read because the topic is such a sensitive one (especially for a white girl who lives in the south where racism is still rampant). We want to bury our heads in the sand and act like this isn't something to worry about, but it most definitely is, and Reid tackles some tough topics in a brilliant way. 

Would definitely recommend!

Followers by Megan Angelo

cover art from GoodReads

*I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own* 

Well. This was. A. Ride. I haven't read a book that I just couldn't put down and didn't want to end in a while, but Angelo NAILED it. I am very picky about the Dystopian types of literature that I read because it really just isn't my genre, but this was in the same vein as "Bumped" and "Pretties/Uglies" in that technology has taken over and made life "better", rather than the end of the world dystopia like "Hunger Games' (though I did enjoy those-- just using it as a comparison point). 

"Followers" switches between the POV of Orla, a writer in 2016, and Marlowe, a reality celebrity from the 2050s. Orla and her friend Floss do some questionable things to make Floss "famous" and she is stuck facing the consequences of those actions. Meanwhile Marlowe lives in a town where everything she does is broadcast to the rest of the world, and they follow her every move. She (like everyone else in the town) was implanted with a computer that does all of the googling through her brain, instead of using a screen. Marlowe eventually has to decide if the life she lives is one she wants to continue to live. There is a connection between the two women that the reader learns about later on in the book. 

I read this in a matter of a few hours. I couldn't put it down because I just had to find out what else was going to happen. Reading how easy it was for this one random woman to become "internet famous" struck a cord with me, because we as a society give so much credence to these random things, and that sort of fame can become all encompassing. I was thoroughly interested in how oversharing on the internet can lead to a downfall of sorts. We use technology for almost everything we do, and even though we think no one is watching, "Followers" brings up the point that just because you don't think anyone is recording whatever you're searching for, or texting, Google is always there :) What would we do as a society if an event such as "The Spill" happened? It's terrifying because it could EASILY happen. And honestly, could I be okay with having my every move scripted and followed? We see that as odd now, but frankly I could see how it could happen. Ahhhh. So many thoughts. 

If you were considering reading this one, DO IT! It was publsihed in January of 2020 so it's available at your local library or most bookstores. 

We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan

covere art from goodreads

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own* 

Once again, I am a bit late with reviewing, since this book was published in January of this year, but c'est la vie. Full disclosure, I didn't really WANT to review this book. I keep thinking of  Thumper in Disney's Bambi: 

Thumper :) 

And honestly I don't have a whole bunch to say about this. The book is about a group of graduate MFA students who don't like one of their teachers due to something they feel she has done to another classmate. So they ruin her life. None of the characters are really memorable or even likable, with the exception of Pearl, and only for me because I had a teacher like him, who I thoroughly enjoyed. 

The writing was pretty. But it seemed pretentious. The author seemed to string a ton of prose together but never really had a point to the story. I was damn near 60% into the book before SOMETHING happened and once it did I wasn't all that shocked. I was more surprised by the fact that a group of "adults" would behave this way. Honestly, I probably should have just DNF'd this one, but I've been doing that a lot lately so I stuck with it hoping for some payoff, since I was really interested in the synopsis, however that payoff just wasn't there. 

Ce n'est pas it chief. 

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

cover art from GoodReads

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. My opinion is my own. 

This is the first solo Tarryn Fisher book I've read. I read her "Never Never" series with Colleen Hoover, and honestly I wasn't over the top impressed with it, so my expectations for this weren't super high going in. I finished the book on the plane from Baton Rouge to Nashville, so it wasn't a very long read. I got hooked into it more than I expected to. 

The premise: Thursday is married to Seth. Seth is a polygamist who is also married to two other women. Thursday is not supposed to know about the other women, but she meets one of them and finds out that she may not know her husband at all. 

I love love love books with unreliable narrators, and Thursday (what kind of a name is Thursday) is definitely one of those! As we learn more about her relationship with Seth, I wasn't overly impressed with him (although I don't think we are supposed to be) and I kept waiting for her to wake up and realize she could do better, and not just say "but I love him". The other wives were interesting and I would have liked to delve into their lives a bit more too. I don't want to say too much about this book because too much will give away spoilers, and this is one of those books that you've got to experience for yourself. I'm glad that this was the first Tarryn Fisher book I read, because now I want to read more! 

Raven Lane by Amber Cowie

Cover Art From GoodReads

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

This whole book was a hot mess. To start off, a couple is driving home from a party when the husband runs over one of the neighbors who is riding his bike. He is subsequently arrested, and the rest of the book alternates between how the couple got to that point and what happens to the husband after his arrest. I don't even want to touch the story within a story aspect because honestly it was so boring and kind of irrelevant that I skipped it. #sorrynotsorry

Honestly, everyone in this book sucked. None of them were likable characters. The victim used the wife in order to get a story for his next book, the wife was miserable due to trauma she couldn't talk about and so she made everyone else around her miserable, the husband was an addict who CLEARLY needed help, and everyone was trying to sleep with everyone else. I just kept waiting for there to be a point, and even after the *shocking* death toward the end, there still wasn't. It just abruptly ended. 

What even was this? 

The Dead Girl's Club by Damien Angelica Walters

I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

I'll be honest, the cover is what drew me to this book in the beginning. I love the color scheme and the flowers. It looks like something I would use as my phone background. And of course the title is catchy as well. 

The story is about Heather, who as a child, had a group of friends who called themselves the "dead girl's club" where they essentially had their own true crime podcast before podcasts were a thing. One of their favorite topics, the Red Lady, (think Slenderman) was a belief that got too out of hand, and because of it their friend Becca died. The story goes back and forth between what happened the night Becca died, and who is stalking Hannah about it now. 

The whole time I was reading this I was reminded of the case in Wisconsin about the girls who stabbed their friend because "Slenderman" told them to do it. Frankly I didn't believe their story then, and I wasn't too taken with Hannah's story either. There's no way that at her age she honestly thought that she could stab her friend and put dirt in her mouth and that she would "come back". However, those feelings don't necessarily reflect on the book. I thought it was interesting, it held my attention, and I would definitely recommend it to my true crime readers. 

All About Evie by Cathy Lamb

Cover Image from GoodReads

I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

I really wanted to like this book. The premise with the premonitions seemed right up my alley. And the life changing discovery about the past? I called about two chapters in. This book wouldn't have been quite so awful if the characters weren't all completely obnoxious. 

Evie- "Oh I love Marco but we can't be together for reasons I won't disclose to him". " I love him so much even though I avoid him at all costs and have never even been on a date with him because I flat out refuse all of his advances". And then there's the fact that she is super judgy to her customers in her bookstore, trying to force them to read what she wants them to read rather than what they would actually like. If this was the real world, and not book world, she wouldn't have a business. 

Evie's sister who's name I can't even remember. Every time they asked her what she liked about her husband all she could talk about was how he was in bed. I don't know if that was supposed to be a joke or if the author thinks that is all it really takes to make a relationship work, but no. 

Then there's the police officer. He was an over the top harasser.  I know that sort of thing does happen, but it was like the author tried way too hard to make this cop seem like the bad guy, and it ended up just being very cringe. 

All in all, I was hardly invested in the story and was just ready for it to be over. I don't know that I'll be recommending this one to anyone. 

The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore

Cover Image from GoodReads

I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

This one was a ride, folks! I started and finished it within a few hours, because I just could NOT put it down. You know that if I stayed up until midnight, it was a good book, because I like my sleep. It was a fairly easy read, maybe except for the flashbacks not necessarily being denoted. I had to try and figure out whether we were in the jail cell with Lucy or if we were hearing how she got there. It disoriented me a bit, but didn't take away from the story as a whole. 

I love historical fiction. And women murderers intrigue me, so this was right up my alley. At first I was fully convinced that Lucy was a murderer and that she was probably a sociopath, but as I got further in, I started to feel sorry for her. She was definitely an unreliable narrator, but like so many other women of her time, Lucy was stuck dealing with a life she was handed because of the things that men did to her, rather than any decisions she made on her own. 

This book definitely makes you think long and hard about the death penalty. Lucy is awaiting her own execution, which she knows will be by hanging. There are people who are trying to get her execution stayed, not because they think she is innocent (as a matter of fact one of the people working to keep her alive hated her), but because they do not think that women should be subjected to death, because they are women. I guess that's score one for women of the times? 

If women murderers and unreliable narrators are your thing, check this book out. It was published earlier this month, so it's available in stores and online!

Dear Girls by Ali Wong

Cover Image from NetGalley

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own*.

This book was published in October 2019, so I am still catching up with reviews, but am getting closer!

I am a fan of Ali Wong's stand up, and have seen both of her Netflix specials. Haven't seen her movie yet, but I'm working on it. With that being said, it made me enjoy this book because I knew what type of humor to expect. Ali is a bit on the vulgar side, has no issues talking intimate details about her sex life, giving birth, etc. If that's not your cup of tea, you're gonna have a hard time reading this book. 

I think she did a good job mixing motherly advice with her normal comedy. I grew up in a fairly prudish household. I'm almost 30 and my mom and I have never had the sex talk-- my best friend's mom gave it to us! I would like to be a healthy mix of both ends of the spectrum with my own daughter. I want her to know that she can ask me whatever embarrassing thing pops into her head, but shouldn't expect me to give her all the dirty details of my own life. There's just some things she doesn't need to know! 

With that being said, this was a quick read, because it entertained me so much that I couldn't put it down. If you're a fan of Wong's (or raunchy female comedy in general) feel free to check this one out! 

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones

Cover art from GoodReads

I was given an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

The Better Liar  hit stores today. For fans of thrillers, this one is a fairly decent one. It was a bit slow to start off, but about 50% of the way through I couldn't put it down. I'm sure I looked strange reading it at my desk on my phone, but I had to know what was going on. 

The story starts with Leslie looking for her sister Robin, in order to get some money she needs from their deceased father's estate. The problem is that Robin is dead, and there is only Mary, a look alike actress with an unknown past. Mary agrees to pretend to be Robin to help Leslie, but there's a huge twist to it all. It's hard to go into any more detail without spoiling, and I don't want to do that. 

I will say that I saw one of the twists coming, I just wasn't sure WHY it was the way it was until the end. This book kept me guessing just enough to make me want to read but not enough so that I was confused and frustrated. 

Trigger Warning: In this book there is a description of miscarriage, suicide, and a fairly accurate description of postpartum depression. That last one is a resounding theme throughout the book, and having read the author's note at the end where she says she is not a mother, I was impressed with her ability to write about PPD knowing she had not suffered from it herself. 

Not to get on my soapbox, but PPD is more common than we tend to think. It is something that is not widely talked about, because it can make the sufferer feel like she is unnatural or like she is a failure at being a mother. The truth is that being a mom is HARD. Everyone has their struggles, and if we don't talk about it, we're all just going to suffer in silence. And that's not doing anyone any good. I admire Tanen Jones for taking a taboo subject and starting a much needed conversation on it. 

Against the Rules by Laura Heffernan

Cover Art From GoodReads

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

So, this book has already been published. I believe it hit the shelves some time in October, but I'm too lazy to go back and look to be sure. I am super behind on my reviews, as per usual, but I'm workin' on it!

Also want to point out, because the description from NetGalley didn't, this is the second book in a series. It wasn't super confusing not having read the first one, but there were references made to the couple that the first book was about that of course I didn't understand. Didn't take away from the over all quality of the book.

Alright, so here we go. Our main character, Holly, has sworn off men after her ex not only cheated on her, he embezzled all of their money and tried to implicate her in his crimes. Can't really say I blame her at that point, but her best friend, Gwen, is encouraging her to get back into the dating scene. What Gwen doesn't know though, is that Holly has a crush on someone already-- Gwen's dad.

The premise was a bit odd to me, mainly because I didn't have friends with hot dads, so that wasn't ever a thought in my head, but I liked the inclusion of board game play and I actually really enjoyed the relationship between Holly and Nathan. There was a bit of a love triangle, but it was super obvious where the whole thing was going.

All in all, this was a CUTE, easy read. Little bit of sex, not enough to make my grandma blush, but enough to maybe not let your preteen read the book. We don't have this series in our library but I would be interested in reading both the first and the third books in this series.

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman

Cover Image from GoodReads

*I was given an eARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own. 

When I first read the blurb (which said this book would be good for fans of This is Us, I was intrigued. I'm a sucker for a good book that will make me cry. The premise of this story is that sisters Jess and Lilly got into an argument when they were younger and haven't spoken in years. They have daughters the same age who aren't allowed to meet. And their mother wants them all back together. Seems interesting enough, and I wanted to know what the secret was that tore them apart in the first place. 

It took me a while to read this book, because frankly it didn't hold my attention. It wasn't horrible, I just didn't CARE about any of the characters. They were all sort of one dimensional. Lilly is the high powered business woman married to the cheating jerk, while Jess is the hot mess single mom who can barely pay her bills. And that's ALL they were. Things didn't get interesting until the last third of the book. I honestly didn't care that much about the mom's part of the story either. 

As far as the secret goes: I called that not even halfway in. It was absolutely ridiculous. These grown ass women couldn't put their differences aside for five minutes for their dying mother, and their differences were because the younger sister was too stubborn to just ask a question, instead of going around assuming her older sister was a horrible person. 

Needless to say this was NOTHING like This is Us, which had me crying in the first episode. The best I can come up with here was, "meh". 

image from google